Differential locking arrangements for rotary powered surgical instruments
First Claim
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
- a surgical end effector;
a rotary drive shaft that is selectively axially movable between a plurality of discrete axial positions relative to said surgical end effector to apply rotary control motions thereto; and
a differential locking system, comprising;
at least one retention formation on said rotary drive shaft corresponding to each one of said discrete axial positions; and
at least one lock member operably supported by said surgical end effector relative to said rotary drive shaft for retaining engagement with said at least one retention formation when said rotary drive shaft is moved to said discrete axial positions associated therewith.
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Abstract
Differential locking systems for a surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a plurality of discrete axial positions. In various forms, at least one retention formation is provided on the rotary drive shaft assembly that corresponds to each one of the discrete axial position. At least one lock member is operably supported relative to rotary drive shaft assembly for retaining engagement with the at least one of the retention formations when the rotary drive shaft assembly is moved to the discrete axial positions associated therewith.
4433 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a surgical end effector; a rotary drive shaft that is selectively axially movable between a plurality of discrete axial positions relative to said surgical end effector to apply rotary control motions thereto; and a differential locking system, comprising; at least one retention formation on said rotary drive shaft corresponding to each one of said discrete axial positions; and at least one lock member operably supported by said surgical end effector relative to said rotary drive shaft for retaining engagement with said at least one retention formation when said rotary drive shaft is moved to said discrete axial positions associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a surgical end effector; a rotary drive shaft operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and being selectively axially movable between a first axial position and a second axial position; and a differential locking system, comprising; a differential housing operably interfacing with said rotary drive shaft and said surgical end effector; and at least one spring-biased lock member operably supported by said differential housing for retaining engagement with a first portion of said rotary drive shaft when said rotary drive shaft is in said first axial position, said at least one spring-biased lock member being further configured to retainingly engage a second portion of said rotary drive shaft when said rotary drive shaft is in said second axial position. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A differential locking system for a surgical instrument including a surgical end effector powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a plurality of discrete axial positions, said differential locking system comprising:
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at least one retention formation on said rotary drive shaft assembly corresponding to each one of said discrete axial positions; and at least one lock member operably supported relative to said rotary drive shaft assembly for retaining engagement with said at least one retention formation when said rotary drive shaft assembly is moved to said discrete axial positions associated therewith, said at least one lock member being operably supported in a differential housing that comprises a portion of a rotary transmission that operably interfaces with said rotary drive shaft assembly and said surgical end effector such that when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in a first axial position, application of a rotary drive motion to said rotary drive shaft assembly causes said rotary transmission to apply a first rotary control motion to said surgical end effector and when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in a second axial position, application of said rotary drive motion to said rotary drive shaft assembly by a drive motor causes said rotary transmission to apply a second rotary control motion to said surgical end effector, said rotary transmission further comprising; a ring gear in said differential housing oriented for meshing engagement with a sun gear on said rotary drive shaft assembly when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said first axial position; and a plurality of planet gears rotatably supported within said differential housing and in meshing engagement with a portion of said surgical end effector, said planet gears being further configured for meshing engagement with said sun gear when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said second axial position. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A differential locking system for a surgical instrument including a surgical end effector powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a first axial position and a second axial position, said differential locking system comprising:
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a differential housing operably interfacing with said rotary drive shaft assembly and said surgical end effector, said differential housing comprising a portion of a rotary transmission that operably interfaces with said rotary drive shaft assembly and said surgical end effector such that when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said first axial position, application of a rotary drive motion to said drive shaft assembly causes said rotary transmission to apply a first rotary control motion to said surgical end effector and when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said second axial position, application of said rotary drive motion to said rotary drive shaft assembly by a drive motor causes said rotary transmission to apply a second rotary control motion to said surgical end effector, said rotary transmission further comprising; a ring gear in said differential housing oriented for meshing engagement with a sun gear on said rotary drive shaft assembly when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said first axial position; and a plurality of planet gears rotatably supported within said differential housing and in meshing engagement with a portion of said surgical end effector, said planet gears further configured for meshing engagement with said sun gear when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said second axial position and wherein said differential locking system further comprises at least one spring-biased lock member operably supported by said differential housing for retaining engagement with a first portion of said rotary drive shaft assembly when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said first axial position and said at least one spring-biased lock member further configured to retainingly engage a second portion of said rotary drive shaft assembly when said rotary drive shaft assembly is in said second axial position.
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Specification